Spring-wheel for vehicles.



J. F. & H. E. SIPE. SPRING WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 7, 1909.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 J. F. & H.151. SIPB.

SPRING WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

, APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1909.

' 1 ,O80,377, Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2Q 7 witme ooeo COLUMIH A PLANOORAPH 60.. WAsmNaTvJN. n.c.

JOHN F. SIPE AND HARRY E. SIPE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPRING-WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN F. SIPE and Hannr E. Sirn, citizens of theUnited States,

and residents of New York city, in the county and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-"Wheels forVehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a spring wheel of that general type in whichthe hub member is suspended upon the tread member by one or more seriesof springs set parallel to the axis of the wheel and connected at oneend to the hub member, and at the other end to the tread member. In thistype of wheel it has heretofore been considered necessary to connect thesprings with the respective parts by means of some form of universaljoint since in each revolution of the wheel the inner end of the springmoves completely around the other end of the spring in a circular path,the spring itself in each such revolution describing what issubstantially a cone. This is necessarily true in all cases in which thesprings are set parallel to the axis of the wheel. No universal jointhas yet been devised which will permit of this movement Without more orless sliding of the parts over one another, producing a grinding actionwhich involves very great wear and materially shortens the life of theparts. If the connecting parts are small they are likely to wear outquickly; and if they are large, as in the case of certain forms of balland socket joints, these larger parts in moving upon one another make avery disagreeable noise. Again in wheels of this character havingsprings parallel. with the axis attached to the respective members byuniversal joints, a slight wearing of the parts of the universal jointsallows a relatively large initial movement between the hub member andthe tread member due to this wearing of parts, and thus a slight wearingof the parts will materially change the initial resilience unlessspecial means are provided for continuously taking up the wear by theadjustment of the springs or their connections.

Our invention is designed to overcome the (ll'illCl'lltlQS justenumerated by providing a specially designed spring and attaching itrigidly to the hub member and to the tread member. The spring is soconstructed that it is capable of allowing the entire move-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 7, 1909.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Serial No. 531,762.

ment between the hub member and the tread member to take place withinthe spring itself, the attachment between the ends of the spring and itsconnected parts remaining rigid and .immovablc.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure l is a side view of a part of a wheel embodying the saidinvention; Fig. 2 is a cross section of the tread member and a part ofthe hub member showing the way in which the springs are arranged betweenthe same, and being broken away in part for clearer illustration; Figs.3 and t are detailed views showing the method of attaching the springsto the bolts by which they are connected with the plates or brackets;.Fig. 5 shows a modification of the invention; Fig. 6 is a longitudinalsectional view of Fig. 5 showing the method of attachment of the wirefor limiting the torsional movement of the members.

Similar numbers denote similar parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the hub of the wheel.

2, 2 are the spokes.

3 is a wooden folly.

t is a steel band attached in any suitable manner to the periphery ofthe felly 3.

5, 5 are T'shaped brackets which are bolted or otherwise suitablyfastened to the inside of the folly 3. These brackets are preferablyplaced midway spokes of the wheel as shown in Fig. 1.

The parts already enun'ierated constitute the wheel member containingthe hub or what may be called the hub member of the wheel.

6 is a wooden folly constituting a part of the tread member of thewheel. This wooden felly is preferably made three inches larger ininside diameter than the outside diameter of the steel band lof the hubmember.

7 is a steel band which is fastened in any suitable manner to theperiphery of the folly 6.

S is a thin solid rubber tire which is fastened in any suitable mannerto the exterior surface of the band 7 9, 9 are side plates which arepreferably annular in form and which are bolted or otherwise suitablyfastened to the sides of the folly 6, as shown in Fig. 2.

between the a wheel member containing a tread, or what may be called thetread member.

The hub member and the tread member are connected together by means ofthe coiled springs 12 and 13. Half of these springs are placed on oneside of the plane of the wheel, and half of them on the other side ofthe plane of the wheel. They are preferably arranged in pairs as shown.The inner end of each spring is rigidly attached to one of the brackets5 of the hub member, and the outer end of the spring is rigidly attachedto one of the annular plates 11 as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and l. Inthe particular form of the invention shown in the drawings ascrew-threaded bolt 14 is passed through the bracket 5, and the innerend of the spring 12 is coiled underneath the head of the bolt so as toform a tight and rigid joint. The head of the bolt is held firmlyagainst the end of the spring by the nut 15 screwed onto the end of thebolt. The outer end of the spring 12 is fastened in like manner to theannular plate 11 so as to make a rigid attachment between the spring andthe annular plate. The end coils of the spring are made of greaterstrength than the middle coils or main body thereof. In the form shownin Figs. 1 and 2 the end of the spring is strengthened or reinforced bygradually reducing the diameter of the end coils as shown. We prefer toemploy springs which are wound with the coils slightly open, the mainbody of the spring being therefore a cross between a spring wound forcompression, and one wound for extension. The springs are so connectedand arranged that they are approximately parallel to the axis of thewheel.

In Fig. 5 we have shown another modification of the invention in whichthe end coils of the springs are made of the same size as the middlecoils, but the former are reinforced and made of greater strength bybeing made of thicker wire.

In Fig. 5, 16 is a spring made in the manner just described, and 17 is agrooved washer adapted to receive the end of the spring as shown. 18 isa piece of spring wire which is fastened at one end to the annular plate11 and at the other end to the bracket 5, and which operates to limitthe torsional movement of the hub member within the tread member. "Weprefer to make this wire of such a length as to permit a slightlygreater torsional movement between the two bolt.

members than the distance between the steel band 4 and the felly 6. Inthe form shown in the drawings the steel wire is fastened to the plate11 by passing the end of it through the middle of the bolt 1% andbending the extreme end against the outer end of the The other end ofthe wire is fastened to the bracket 5 in a similar manner. This methodof attachment is illustrated in Fig. 6*. These spring wires are placedinside of the coiled springs, and'are thus held in place and protected.

The coiled springs are usually set under an initial tension, and whenthey are all set under a similar tension they act precisely alike at alltimes in opposing the load. In some cases, however, it will be foundadvantageous to have only a part of the springs oppose the initial load,and to have others which are not brought into action until the load isincreased to a certain extent. To accomplish this result the springs canbe arranged in dilferent series set under different tensions. Forexample, referring to Fig. 1, the springs which are marked 12 representsprings which are set under a slight initial tension so as to carry theinitial load, whereas the springs marked 13 represent springs which areslightly longer, and which are set normally under compression, as aresult of which they are not brought into operation to oppose the loaduntil the load has been increased to a certain point. In other words,the springs 12 of the first series are under one tension, being normallyextended, and the springs 13 of the second series are under a differenttension, being normally compressed, so as to be brought into operationat different times. The action of these coiled springs under load isquite different from that of springs set parallel to the axis butconnected by universal joints. In our improved construction the springsoffer a greater proportional initial resistance. The springs attached byuniversal bearings are extended directly endwise, the springs onopposite sides of the wheel when under load extending at opposite anglesto one another, the angles varying with the load; whereas the springsset in the manner herein described assume somewhat the shape of theletter 8 under load, the several coils of the spring acting quitedifferently from one another, and the movement between the hub memberand the tread member is brought about by a movement within the springitself, and not by a movement of the parts of the universal joint oneupon another. The employment of the spring wire for limiting thetorsional movement is of advantage in that means is provided forpreventing an excessive torsional movement which is additional to thesprings, and in case of a tendency to extreme torsional movement thestress is carried by the spring wire, or whatever means is used for thispurpose, and an excessive strain upon the spring is thereby avoided.

From the foregoing it will be seen that our invention greatly simplifiesthe con struction of the spring wheel having springs set parallel to theaxis, that it involves the use of a smaller number of parts, that thedisadvantage of noise produced as a result of one part moving uponanother is practically overcome, and that the durability of the wheel isgreater because the deteriorition of the parts due to their moving oneupon another is substantially eliminated.

lvhat we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a spring wheel, the combination of a wheel member containing ahub, a wheel member containing a tread, a plurality of coiled springsset approximately parallel to the axis of the wheel and arranged inseveral series, the springs of one series being normally extended andthe springs of another series being normally compressed, the end coilsof the springs having the greatest strength and the strength of thecoils being graduated from the ends of the springs toward the middlethereof, and the coils of the springs being separated so as to allow themiddle coils to assume a position at an angle to the end coils, and oneend of each spring being rigidly attached to the hub member, and theother end rigidly attached to the tread member, whereby the middle coilsof the springs will have a much greater move ment than the end coils.

2. In a spring wheel, the combination of a Wheel member, containing ahub, a wheel member containing a tread, a plurality of coiled springsset approximately parallel to the axis of the wheel, the end coils ofthe springs having the greatest strength, and the strength of the coilsbeing graduated from the ends of the springs toward the mid dle thereof,and the coils of the springs being separated so as to allow the middlecoils to assume a position at an angle to the end coils, and one end ofeach spring being rigidly attached to the hub member, and the other endrigidly attached to the tread member, and means operating independentlyof the springs for limiting the torsional movement between the twomembers, whereby the middle coils of the springs will have a muchgreater movement than the end coils.

in a spring wheel, the combination of a wheel member containing a hub, awheel member containing a tread, a plurality of coiled springs setapproximately parallel to the axis of the wheel, the end coils of thesprings having the greatest strength, and the strength of the coilsbeing graduated from the ends of the springs toward the middle thereof,and the coils of the springs be ing separated so as to allow the middlecoils to assume a position at an angle to the end coils, and one end ofeach spring being rigidly attached to the hub member, and the other endrigidly attached to the tread member, and wires connected with the twomembers for limiting their torsional movement, whereby the middle coilsof the springs will have a much greater movement than the end coils.

L. In a spring wheel, the combination of a wheel member containing ahub, spokes and folly, and brackets attached to the inside of saidfelly, a tread member containing a tire,

a folly, and side plates attached to the folly, an annular plate on eachside of the wheel, 30 arms connecting the side plates of the treadmember with the annular plates so as to support the latter, and coiledsprings rigidly attached at their inner ends to the brackets and attheir outer ends to the annular plates, the end coils of the springsbeing of greater strength than the main body thereof.

5. In a spring wheel, the combination of a wheel member containing ahub, spokes and folly, and brackets attached to the inside of saidfelly, a tread member containing a tire,

a folly, and side plates attached to the folly,

an annular plate on each side of the wheel, arms connecting the sideplates of the tread member with the annular plates so as to sup port thelatter, and coiled springs rigidly attached at their inner ends to thebrackets and at their outer ends to the annular plates,

the end coils of the springs being of greater strength than the mainbody thereof, and wires within said springs fastened at one end to theannular plates and at the other end to the brackets to limit thetorsional movement of the hub member and the tread member.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. SIPE. HARRY E. SIPE.

lVitnesses GED. M. HARRIS, EWDIN Snenn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

